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Editorial Review Product Description
In this profoundly significant book, author Michael Gurian synthesizes this current knowledge and clearly demonstrates how this distinction in hard-wiring and socialized gender differences affects how boys and girls learn. Gurian presents a new way to educate our children based on brain science, neurological development, and chemical and hormonal disparities. ... Read more Customer Reviews (28) 
Great Starting Place
This book is a great overview of the nature-based, gender-based philosophy and the practical applications of that philosophy. I like it particularly because most of Michael Gurian's books deal with a subset of the material. This one is perhaps the best first book to read if you are interested in the subject. There are other books by Gurian and by Leonard Sax which work the brain science harder. There are several excellent books which Gurian has co-written which are designed to be classroom strategy and implementation books. There are quite a few by Gurian and others which highlight and analyze the difficult plight of boys in current society. There many books, more in the public eye, on the challenges before girls today. This is a fascinating and important area of study with much depth of material for those inclined to pursue it. But regardless of depth of interest, this book is a fine place to begin.
The most helpful book I have read since Don't Shoot the Dog
This book's title should win an award for obviousness.Of COURSE boys and girls learn differently, that is part of what makes them boys and girls.I think Gurian's book is addressing the educational fetish that all children are blobs of goo, entirely shaped by their upbringings.It is clearly not so... kids are hard-wired at birth and a one-size-fits-all education isn't going to work.It will frustrate the children, confound the teachers, and impart little actual learning.
The first section of the book is a rehashing of the brain research associated with early childhood development.This was spelled out better in Gurian's book The Minds of Boys.I suspect it was included in this book assert the author's theories' credibility.The second section of the book, on designing classrooms to meet the needs of boys AND girls, is extremely valuable.
A 25-year veteran teacher and I were talking about it.She says school is designed by women, taught by women, and geared toward women.Sit down, sit still, raise your hand.As a result, boyishness is becoming a pathology.There is nothing wrong with most boys, other than being biologically unsuited for an environment of "sit down, sit still, and raise your hand."
I teach 3-year old Sunday School, and boys and girls DO learn differently.It might not be a bad idea to sex-segregate preschoolers in Sunday school, rather than divide them by age.Most three-year-old girls can turn out a prettily colored picture or cutting craft; most three year old boys simply do not.However, when it comes to acting out a Bible Story, the boys are as engaged as the girls.And when you can put the kids INTO the lesson, the learning sticks.
The entire second section of this book is devoted to how to build inclusive lesson plans that meet the needs of all kids, and how to incentivize learning for boys and girls.It has been extremely helpful to me; I think this is the most helpful book I have read about reaching and training children since Karen Pryor's book "Don't Shoot the Dog."
excellent reference
I am a high school teacher in the inner city of Los Angeles. This book was very helpful in allowing me to accomodate both boys and girls in my classes.
If your son's teacher wants you to drug him, read this book first.
Our education system always talks the talk of "celebrating diversity," but we are pummeled by political correctness any time we acknowledge any differences.
Michael Gurian does an exellent job presenting a lot of heavy medical and scientific research about brain differences between boys and girls. Different does not mean "inferior," and Gurian does well to present the facts about gender differences in a way that is both easy to understand and is scientific enough to combat the political correctness that is trying (unsuccessfully) to turn the US into a genderless society.
If your son's teacher cannot handle "boy energy" and wants to to drug him into submission, you really need to read this book first. Afterwards, you will probably want to give a copy to your boy's teacher.
Thank you!
We need to stop worrying about offending people with talk of the differences of the genders and embrace what we are seeing and (what studies are showing).If we wonder why kids are having so much trouble we need to look at what we are doing to them and embrace the reality rather than deny the fact that we are wired differently. This is filled with critical information and ways to help our kids.I want to do the best for my son and daughter and I thank Michael Gurian for this book.
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Eh.
Interesting Lists, but Be Careful